Wednesday, July 18, 2007

A friend of ours from church went to be with the Lord yesterday afternoon. We got the news last evening, and found out all the details this evening at church. It’s just crazy because we just saw him Sunday at church. He has been battling cancer for a while, but his prognosis was stable. He and his daughter were running some errands on Monday and he started acting funny. He was rushed to the ER and it was determined that he was in the early stages of a stroke. Apparently his cancer spread to his brain, and the tumor in his head ruptured. No one knew the cancer was in his head, so he was literally a walking time-bomb.

Mark was such an inspiration. Even though he was fighting for his life, he always put on a good face and had an upbeat attitude. Despite the pain he endured during his treatments, he always took the time to find out about others. He inquired about my dad on Sunday, and encouragingly patted me on the back. Like most people, I just wish we could have said good-bye. He left behind a wife and 4 children, the youngest of whom is either 8 or 9.We’ve been praying for him as a family for well over a year. Our pastor left a message on our machine, so when we got home last night, I played the messages as usual. I wasn’t expecting to hear that kind of news! I immediately began to cry and felt sick to my stomach. TJ was sort of in shock, and poor Th had a million and one questions! I am thankful that he has a basic understanding of Heaven because it makes death an easier topic to discuss with him. He reassured both TJ and I that Mark was with Jesus “in his mansion and there’s no more pain or tears”. How true it is! Thank you, Lord, for your providence during this time, and thank you for the opportunity to know such a wonderful, God-fearing man and his family.

Please keep his family in your prayers, especially on Saturday afternoon when we hold the funeral. Pray the service would be God-honoring and a blessing to those who attend.